Francisco Cerundolo outlasted Tommy Paul in a grueling three-hour, 28-minute battle to claim the Queen's Club title on Sunday, winning 7-6 (7), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) in what became the longest final in the tournament's 136-year history.
Record-breaking marathon
The match surpassed the previous record for the longest Queen's final, set in 2019 when Feliciano López defeated Gilles Simon in two hours and 51 minutes. Cerundolo and Paul added an extra 37 minutes to that mark, with neither player willing to yield. The Argentine saved two match points in the third set before finally converting his second championship point after nearly three and a half hours of relentless tennis.
"It's incredible," Cerundolo said after the match. "I've never played a final like this. Tommy is a great competitor, and I knew it would be tough. I just kept fighting and believing."
Momentum swings
The first set saw both players hold serve comfortably until the tiebreak, where Cerundolo edged ahead 7-2. Paul responded by raising his level in the second set, breaking early to lead 3-1. However, Cerundolo broke back to force another tiebreak, which Paul dominated 7-4 to level the match.
The deciding set followed a similar pattern, with both players holding serve until 5-5. Paul then earned two match points on Cerundolo's serve at 6-5, but the Argentine saved both with aggressive forehands. In the final tiebreak, Cerundolo raced to a 5-1 lead, only for Paul to claw back to 5-5. Cerundolo then won the next two points to seal the victory.
First ATP 500 title
The win marks Cerundolo's first ATP 500 title and his fourth career singles crown. The 27-year-old Argentine had previously won three ATP 250 events, but this victory propels him into the top 20 of the world rankings for the first time. Paul, who was seeking his second ATP 500 title, will rise to a career-high ranking of 12th despite the loss.
"I gave everything I had," Paul said. "Francisco played an incredible match. It's tough to lose like that, but I'm proud of the fight."
Historic context
Queen's Club, a traditional Wimbledon warm-up event, has hosted some of the sport's greats since 1890. The previous longest final had stood for seven years, but Cerundolo and Paul's epic surpassed it in both duration and drama. The match featured 26 aces, 11 breaks of serve, and countless rallies that left both players gasping for air.
Cerundolo's victory also made him the first Argentine to win the Queen's title since David Nalbandian in 2002. The tournament, now part of the ATP 500 series, continues to produce memorable moments as players fine-tune their grass-court games ahead of Wimbledon.
